NCPA enlists support partner for long-term care unit

September 9th, 2011

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association has partnered with group services provider GeriMed Inc. to help support NCPA's Long-Term Care (LTC) Division.

NCPA said Thursday that all GeriMed members will join its LTC Division, which was formed last October to help advance the interests of independent long-term care pharmacy providers. According to the association, the LTC Division represents all community pharmacies that provide LTC services, including "closed door" pharmacies that exclusively serve LTC facilities and their residents.

"GeriMed is a leader in the long-term care field, and we appreciate their support of our advocacy efforts to enhance the ability of LTC pharmacists to care for patients," NCPA president Robert Greenwood said in a statement.

GeriMedprovides closed-door, LTC pharmacies with tools to help grow their businesses. The organization is a founding sponsor of the Community Aging, Assisted Living and Long-Term Care (CAALLTC) program, designed for pharmacists who want to offer senior care pharmacy services to group homes, adult day care and assisted living facilities, retirement communities and hospices.

"The demand for LTC services will only continue to rise as 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 every day. GeriMed is happy to support the new LTC Division and is positioned well to help pharmacists advance these important services in their communities," stated GeriMed founder H. Joseph Schutte.

"LTC pharmacy and community pharmacy providers both face significant regulatory and legislative barriers that threaten their ability to stay in business and care for their patients," Greenwood commented in announcing the GeriMed partnership. "Recognizing this, our executive committee established the NCPA LTC Division to give long-term care pharmacies and residents a greater voice in these critical policy debates. We're proud of the significant progress that has already been made. For example, NCPA played a leading role with other LTC stakeholders in working with Medicare officials to arrive at a much more reasonable approach to implementing the so-called 'short-cycle' dispensing policy."